Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080319685 | Systems and Methods For Measuring Multiphase Flow in a Hydrocarbon Transporting Pipeline - This disclosure relates in general to methods and systems for measuring multiphase flows in a pipeline using a combination of venturi, microwave and radiation techniques, where the pipeline is configured to transport hydrocarbons. More specifically, but not by way of limitation, certain embodiments of the present invention provide methods and systems in which low activity radiation sources may be used in combination with one or more microwave transmitter-receiver pairs and pressure differential sensors to measure the flow rates and fractions of phases in multiphase flows in a pipeline, such as may be encountered in producing hydrocarbon wells. Additionally, other embodiments of the present invention provide for the arrangement of one or more microwave transmitter-receiver pairs, one or more radiation source-detector pairs and/or one or more pressure sensor ports in the same cross-section of the throat of a venturi to measure multiphase flow in a hydrocarbon transporting pipeline. | 12-25-2008 |
20090139345 | ISOKINETIC SAMPLING METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MULTIPHASE FLOW FROM SUBTERRANEAN WELLS - The invention relates in a one aspect to a method or apparatus for measuring flow properties of a multiphase fluid stream flowing in a pipeline comprising means for sampling, with a sampling probe, a portion of the fluid stream; for measuring a differential pressure between a first pressure of the fluid stream in the pipeline and a second pressure of the portion of the fluid stream in the sampling probe; for controlling flow rate of the sampled portion, wherein the flow rate of the sampled portion is controlled to provide for nullification of the differential pressure in order to obtain substantially isokinetic sampling of the fluid stream; for measuring properties of the portion of the fluid stream; and for processing the measured properties to determine the flow properties of the multiphase fluid stream flowing in the pipeline, wherein the above elements do not require- or are performed without the determination of the density of fluid in the fluid stream through nuclear radiation methods. | 06-04-2009 |
20090204346 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MEASURING PROPERTIES OF LIQUID IN MULTIPHASE MIXTURES - This disclosure describes measuring properties of a multiphase mixture flowing in a pipe using probes with different sensitivity depths. By generating annular flow of the multiphase mixture in the pipe, the probes may be contacted with the liquid phase of the mixture flowing on an inner-wall of the pipe and apparent permittivities of the annular flow measured by the probes. These measured permittivities may be processed to determine liquid fraction of the annular flow and water-in-liquid ratio of the liquid phase of the annular flow. | 08-13-2009 |
20090216463 | DEVICES AND METHODS FOR QUANTIFICATION OF LIQUIDS IN GAS-CONDENSATE WELLS - Devices and methods for measuring the fraction of a liquid in a wet gas flow are described, the device including one or more light sources emitting at a first wavelength at which the liquid is highly absorbing and emitting at a second wavelength close to the first wavelength and at which the liquid is not highly absorbing; and one or more sensor for detecting the transmittance of the light at the first and second wavelengths through said gas flow, the device further including processing means for determining a liquid fraction of the liquid in the wet gas flow by correcting the transmittance measured at the first wavelength for the effects of scattering using the transmittance measured at the second wavelength. By making use of cross-correlations or know flow rate meters the device can be used as a flow meter. | 08-27-2009 |
20100145634 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SPOT CHECK ANALYSIS OR SPOT SAMPLING OF A MULTIPHASE MIXTURE FLOWING IN A PIPELINE - This disclosure relates in general to systems and methods for spot checking flow properties of a multiphase mixture containing one or more hydrocarbons flowing through a pipeline or the like. More specifically, but not by way of limitation, embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for creating slug-type flows of isokinetically obtained samples of the multiphase mixture flow. By spot checking the slug-type flow of an isokinetically obtained sample of the multiphase flow, embodiments of the present invention may provide for determining flow properties of gas, oil/condensate and/or water components of the multiphase flow. In certain aspects of the present invention, an active sampling device may be used to enrich one of the phases of the slug-type flow of the sampled multiphase mixture and/or take a representative sample of one of the phases of the slug-type flow of the sampled multiphase mixture. | 06-10-2010 |
20100299088 | ULTRASONIC CLAMP-ON MULTIPHASE FLOWMETER - A multiphase flowmeter for determining at least one characteristic of a first phase flowing in a pipe with at least a second phase being also present in the pipe is disclosed. The multiphase flowmeter includes a processor configured to determine the at least one characteristic of the first phase, a first transducer configured to emit a first pulse signal into the first phase at a first incident angle with respect to a straight line that is perpendicular to an interior pipe wall; the first pulse signal is in an ultrasonic range and is configured to be coupled to an exterior pipe wall; and the absolute value of the first incident angle in the first phase is configured to be at least 10 degrees and at most 80 degrees and a second transducer configured to emit a second pulse signal into the first phase at a substantially normal incidence. | 11-25-2010 |
20100305881 | GAS PRESSURE DETERMINATION IN A GAS/LIQUID FLOW - An apparatus and method is provided for determining the static gas pressure in a gas/liquid flow. The apparatus and method may be non-invasive relative to the flow to be analyzed. The apparatus and method may include swirling a multiphase flow so that the flow is separated into a gas core and a liquid outer layer, measuring flow parameters, including the liquid layer tangential velocity, the liquid holdup, and the static pressure of the flow at the wall of conduit, and determining the static gas pressure in the gas core from the measured flow parameters. | 12-02-2010 |
20110098938 | MULTIPHASE FLOW MEASUREMENT - Methods and systems are described that provide for measuring flow properties of multiphase mixtures within a pipe carry gas-liquid hydrocarbons and water produced from oil-gas wells. The methods and systems may provide for a combination of a clamp-on ultrasonic gas flow meter to measure flow characteristics of a gas phase in a pipeline and a pulsed ultrasonic Doppler sensor(s) and/or an RF/microwave electromagnetic sensor(s) to measure flow characteristics of a liquid phase. The combination of sensors may provide for multiphase flow measurements under certain flow conditions, such as when the gas-liquid is flowing in a substantially horizontal pipeline, when the flow is stratified or is caused to be stratified and/or the like. | 04-28-2011 |